Various kinds of square cut or square end gusseted bags have been previously proposed for shipping and displaying articles. The bag usually has a label clearly displaying the type of product contained in the bag together with the brand name of the manufacturer. These bags have had certain shortcomings for particular applications. One of the problems is that the product can easily shift in the package. Another problem is that while square ended gusseted bags are inexpensive and have been successful for many applications, they do not provide a flat bottom when the bag is expanded. Morever, the gussets at the bottom of such a bag are held in the transverse seal at the bottom and therefore project into the center portion of the bag occupying a substantial amount of space that would otherwise be unobstructed. This can interfere with the product contained in the bag. Thus, in some applications, after the bag is expanded and the top has been opened, the ends of the gussets captivated between the bottom edges of the bag prevent the product inside from moving around freely. They also prevent a person from removing the product easily. This is because the gussets form four small pockets at the bottom of the bag within which the product can become trapped so that it is difficult to remove. Yet another shortcoming of the prior bags is the difficulty of forming and filling them at high speeds on the order of, say, about 100 per minute, while at the same time providing strong, durable seals including a longitudinal seal to bond the side edges of the sheet from which the bag is formed, a pair of transversely extending end seals, i.e., top and bottom seals and, if desired, one or more transversely extending product locating seals positioned intermediate the top and bottom ends of the bag and extending laterally from one side edge of the bag to the other.
The bag of the present invention overcomes these problems. It can be used to ship a variety of products such as personal and hardware items, articles that are displayed on racks in retail stores, fresh produce, snacks, soft goods, candies, cookies, plant foods, insecticides, cereals and the like. The invention is particularly useful for products that expand such as chemicals or foods such as popcorn which should be stored in a relatively small space but be free to expand into a much larger volume as it pops. The invention has a variety of other applications which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.